Reported practices of pediatric residents in the management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Abstract

Improvements in the health of children have resulted in changes in the traditional role of the pediatrician. During the past two decades, pediatrics has become increasingly concerned with the social, behavioral, and developmental aspects of children. This new focus for pediatrics has been described as the "new morbidity," and recent studies have indicated that pediatricians are addressing more behavioral and developmental problems in their practices than in years past. 1 However, there is continued concern about the adequacy of training in the area of behavioral pediatrics. In 1978, the Task Force on Pediatric Education noted that residency training in pediatrics needed to emphasize behavioral and developmental issues more clearly. 2 A follow-up survey failed to demonstrate any uniformity in residency training experiences in the psychosocial aspects of pediatrics. 3 Fritz and Bergman 4 have described how pediatricians' attitudes toward mental health and methods of managing such issues correlate highly with